The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-11-10
TALMAGE's SERMON.
The Brooklyn Preacher Occupies
"Unoccupied Fields"
An Eloquent Discourse Upon Skepticism
the Reasons for Its Existence and
the Salvatie. of Unbelievcrs-
Tho Chu cch's Mission.

The ChUcCh's Mission
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage took for the
subject of recent discourse in the Brook
iyn Tabernacle "Unoccupied Fields"
predicating his remarks on the following
text:
Lest 1 should build upon another mans
foundation.
DIR. Talmage said: Stirring reports
come from all parts of America showing
what great work the churches of God
are doing, and l congratulate them and
their pastors. Misapprehensions have
been going the rounds saying that the
outside benevolences of this particular
church are neglected, when the fact is
that large sums of money are being
raised in various ways by this church for
all styles of good objects, not always
through the boards OF our own denomina-
ton. This church was built by all denom-
nations of Christians and by many sec
tions of this land and other lands, and
this obligation has led us to raise money
for many objects not connected with our
denomination, and this accounts for the
fact that we have not regularly contrib
uted to all the boards commended. But
rejoice in that you have done as a
church a magnificent work, and am
grateful that we have received during the
year, by confession of faith in Christ,
seven hundred twenty five souls, which
fact l mention not in boasting, but in de-
Tense of this church, showing it has
been neither idle nor inefficient. The most
of our accessions have been from the out
side world, so that, taking the idea of my
text, we have not been building on other
peoples foundations.
What strengthens the army is new re-
cruits. What l have always desired is
that while we are courteous to those COM
ing from other hocks we build our church,
not out of other churches, but out of the
world, lest we build on another mans
j foundation. The fact IS, this Is big
world. When, in our scnoolboy days, we
learned the diameter and circumference
of this planet, we did not learn half. It
is the latitude and longitude, and di-
ameter and circumference Of
want, and woe, and sin, that
no figures can calculate. This one
spiritual continent Of wretchedness
reaches across all zones, and if 1 were
called to give its geographical boundary,
would say it is bounded on the north and
south and east and west by the great heart
of Gods sympathy and love. Oh, it is a
great world. Since six O'Clock this morn.
ing g., 800 persons have been born, and all
these multiplied populations are to be
reached of the Gospel In England, or in
our Eastern American cities, we are being
much crowded, and an acre of ground is
of great value, but out West five hundred
acres is a small farm, and fifty thousand
acres is no unusual possession. There is
vast field here and everywhere unoccu.
pied, plenty of room more, not building
on another mans foundation.
We need as churches to stop lombard
ing the old iron-clad sinners that have
been proof against thirty years of Christ
ian assault. Alas for that church which
lacks the spirit of evangelism, spending
ON one chandelier enough to light five
hundred souls to glory, and in one carved
pillar enough to have made a thousand
men "pillars in the house of our God TO,
ever" and doing less good than many a log
cabin Westinghouse with tallow candles
stuck in wooden sockets, and a minister
who has never seen a college, or known
the difference between Greek and Choc
taw. We need as churches to get int
sympathy with the great outside world
and let them know that none are 81
broken hearted that they will not be vel
coined.
"No" says some fastidious Christian
81 don't like to be crowded in church
Don't put any one in my pew" My broth.
er, what will you do in Heaven? When
great multitude that no man can number
assemblies, they will put fifty in your pew
What are the select few to-day assembled
in the Christian churches compared will
the mightier millions outside of them
eight hundred thousand in Brooklyn, bu
less than one hundred thousand in tn,
churches? Many of the churches are lik,
q hospital that should advertise that it,
patients must have nothing worse thar
toothache or ''run-rounds," but no broker
heads, no crushed ankles, no fractured
thighs. Give us for treatment moderat,
sinners, velvet-coated sinners, and sinners
with gloss on. 1t is as though a maj
had farm of three thousand acres, ant
put all his work on one acre. He may
raise never so large ears of corn, never
so large heads of wheat, he woult
remain poor. The Church of God ha
bestowed its chief care on one acre. ant
has raised splendid men and women il
that small inclosure, but the field is tn,
world. That means North and Soutl
America, Europe, Asia and Africa, ant
all the islands of the sea.
1t is as though after great battle there
were left fifty thousand wounded and DIV
ing on the field, and three surgeons gave
all their time to three patients under theil
charge. The Major General comes in and
says to the doctors: Come out here ant
look at the nearly fifty thousand dyins
for lack of surgical attendance"
NO." say the three doctors, standing
there tanning their patients, 1--WE hav,
three important cases here, and we ar.
attending to them, and when we are no,
positively busy with their wounds it take.
all our time to keep the flies off,"
In this awful battle of sin and sorrow
where millions have fallen on millions, d.
not let US spend all our time in taking
care OF a few people, and when the com.
mand comes: go into the world,n saw
practically: eNo, i can not go; have
here few choice cases, and am busy
keeping of the flies" There are multi
tudes to-day who have never had any
Christian worker look them in the eye
and with earnestness in the accumulation
say: "Comew or they would long ago have
been in the kingdom.
My friends, religion is either a sham or